A wide variety of structural embodiments of clutch arrangements are frequently used in a drive train in the automotive technology sector. They serve for the optional drive-connection of a drive element to an output element. Clutch arrangements of the type in question are used in particular in motor vehicles with all wheel drive and in motor vehicles having a hybrid drive. In this case, they serve for selectively shutting down partial regions of the drive train in order in such a manner to prevent unnecessary rotation and therefore unnecessary consumption of energy of those partial regions of the drive train that are to be shut down.
In particular in the region of use of motor vehicles with all wheel drive, reliable separation of the partial regions of the drive train and requirement-related and highly dynamic switching on of the respective partial regions of the drive train are desired without a high expenditure of energy.
Document DE 10 2011 085 839 A1 describes, for example, a clutch device with two clutch parts which are coupleable by means of a sliding sleeve, namely a first clutch part and a second clutch part which, in the engaged state, are coupled to each other in a positively locking manner via the sliding sleeve. The sliding sleeve is attached in an axially displaceable manner to the first clutch part for rotation therewith. The sliding sleeve has, on its circumferential surface, at least one first step which has a first step flank and extends with a first step profile on the circumferential surface of the sliding sleeve. The first step profile also has an axial directional component in the direction of the rotational axis of the first clutch part. An adjusting means which is displaceable to and fro between an adjusting-means-coupling position and an adjusting-means-decoupling position lies, during the decoupling operation of the two clutch parts, in its adjusting-means-decoupling position in the first step flank of the sliding sleeve, and therefore, during rotation of the first clutch part, the sliding sleeve is moved axially away from the second clutch part into a sleeve-decoupling position. Furthermore, the sliding sleeve is supported by means of an axially acting spring, and therefore a spring force holds the sliding sleeve in a sleeve-coupling position mechanically coupling the first and the second clutch part to each other, or slides into the sliding sleeve said sleeve-coupling position when the adjusting means is in its adjusting-means-coupling position. In the described embodiment of the coupling device, the sliding sleeve is held in the decoupling position via the adjusting means, in the adjusting-means-decoupling position thereof, thus resulting in an increased expenditure of energy.